I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 44

Chapter 44   Hot Spring Trip 4

“What a coincidence, Senpai!”

Shinohara waved her hand and jogged over. People passing by watched the scene with warm smiles. In university, I’d probably be getting plenty of envious looks, but in this hot spring town, surrounded by families and adult couples, there seemed to be fewer people inclined toward such feelings.

—But more importantly.

“‘What a coincidence,’ you say…”

I remembered how she had barged into the Christmas mixer with the same exact line. It’s been a few months since then, and while I did feel a bit nostalgic, the priority now was to get Shinohara out of here. I could ask her why she was here afterward.

“Come with me for a sec.”

“Whoa!”

I grabbed her hand and started walking in the opposite direction from the shop Ayaka had entered. I had no desire for the two to run into each other. Being stuck in the middle of their awkward reactions was the last thing I wanted.

Within seconds, the alley we had been in was out of sight, and we ended up in a quieter backstreet. The dim light of dusk barely reached this area.

“Senpai, dragging me into such a secluded place without warning…”

“Shut up. Why are you here?”

I cut off her teasing tone, and Shinohara pouted in response.

“I said it’s a coincidence, Senpai, a coincidence.”

“Oh yeah, I remember you were looking at a pamphlet about this hot spring town the other day. Is that why you’re here?”

A week ago, Shinohara had peeked over my shoulder as I read a pamphlet about this place. Judging from the timing, it was almost certain that this pamphlet was the reason she was here.

“Well, yeah. The hot spring town in the pamphlet looked really attractive.”

“I knew it. If you wanted to come along, you should’ve just said so.”

I let out a sigh, watching my breath turn white in the cool air. Shinohara quickly shook her head.

“No, no, you’ve got it wrong. Meeting you today really was a coincidence. I came here with someone else.”

“Huh?”

I let out a dumbfounded sound.

Judging by Shinohara’s expression, she didn’t seem to be lying, so I took a deep breath.

“Why are you taking deep breaths?”

“Leave me alone… No, wait a second.”

Thinking it over, the pamphlet only had the location, not the date I was coming here. I hadn’t told Shinohara the specific date either, so it’s possible that her being here today really was a coincidence.

If that’s the case, my earlier reaction made me look like a complete fool.

“…I wasn’t thinking clearly. My bad.”

It seemed like this really was just a chance encounter. Coming to that conclusion, I apologized.

“Well, I was kind of hoping I’d run into you here, but I can’t believe it actually happened! This must be fate—like a red string of destiny!”

“Yeah, yeah, very cute.”

“Oh come on, why are you brushing it off like that!”

Shinohara pouted and voiced her complaint. I resisted the urge to say that if I reacted seriously, she’d probably just give me an awkward look.

“So, who did you come here with?”

“Ooh, good question. I was wondering what I’d do if you didn’t ask.”

“Am I gonna get killed for not asking?”

“I could only kill you socially~.”

“That’s the scariest kind!”

Shinohara laughed heartily. From her casual tone, it was likely that she had come with some friends from our department.

“Wrong answer!”

As if reading my mind, Shinohara crossed her index fingers in front of her mouth.

“The correct answer is… I came with someone from work!”

“How did you know what I was thinking…”

Even though we’ve only known each other for a few months, we’ve spent a lot of time together. Shinohara’s been hanging out at my place on days I would normally spend alone, so it’s natural she’d be able to read me a little by now.

“You got the contact info of someone you were close with at work, huh? That’s great.”

“Wow, you got all that just from me saying ‘someone from work’? We’re totally on the same wavelength today!”

Just the other day, she was down about not having the contact info of a work friend she was close to. So it wasn’t surprising I’d guess it, but I decided not to point that out and just nodded, saying, “Yeah.”

Satisfied, Shinohara nodded enthusiastically before continuing with a cheerful smile.

“I ran into you while returning my work uniform. Lately, I’ve been super lucky. I’d love to share some of that luck with you, senpai.”

“I wouldn’t mind benefiting from that. But if that’s the case, shouldn’t you be heading back soon?”

By now, Ayaka might already be looking for me. Luckily, it was getting dark, and if I went back to the inn now, we could avoid running into each other. It seemed wise to part ways soon.

“You were the one who brought me all the way out here, though.”

…I had no comeback to that. I scratched my head, realizing it wasn’t fair to complain when I was the one who dragged her here in the first place.

“My bad. Apologize to that friend from work for me too.”

“Got it. So, should we split up here?”

“Huh?”

I let out another dumbfounded sound. I had told Shinohara beforehand that I was going on a guys’ trip to the hot springs. Because of that, I had feared she might crash our group, like she had during a past club outing.

Sensing my concern from my expression, Shinohara gave a wry smile.

“What do you take me for? I’m not going to force myself into your group. This isn’t like a club trip; today’s really my own private time.”

“Oh, that’s… unusual.”

Shinohara pouted at my offhanded comment.

“It’s not unusual! This is my default setting… probably!”

“Why don’t you sound confident about that?”

Her quick self-correction made me laugh. She was always full of energy, her emotions swinging wildly from one to another. With her, there was never a dull conversation.

“Well, common sense is different for everyone, right? I can’t say for sure.”

It seemed like she was thinking about all the time she spent at my place. But that was nothing to worry about. For a university student living alone, having someone around to help with chores was a dream come true.

“You’re cooking for me, right? It’s fine.”

When I said that, Shinohara’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, right! If you say it’s fine, then there’s nothing for me to worry about!”

That wasn’t the wrong conclusion, but the way she so quickly accepted it made me feel an odd urge to contradict her. I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Alright, let’s head out.”

But then, Shinohara frowned.

“Leaving is fine and all, but… senpai.”

“Hm?”

“I’ve been waiting this whole time, you know.”

Shinohara gave me a blank stare before playfully hitting her small pouch against her thigh.

“My yukata! How could you be so unresponsive?”

“Oh.”

At first, I had been dazzled by the combination of her elegant appearance and the vibrant yukata, but then things quickly shifted, and I had forgotten to take it in. Finally, I focused on her, looking her up and down.

“…Well? How do I look?”

She glanced up at me shyly, her head tilted slightly. I looked away before answering.

“…You look beautiful.”

“Haha, you’re really bad at hiding your embarrassment.”

Shinohara laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. It’s not like I’m bad at complimenting people, but when I’m asked directly like this, it makes me feel awkward no matter what.

“Well, see you later, senpai.”

“Yeah.”

Shinohara smiled brightly in response to my casual reply and cheerfully clattered her wooden sandals as she jogged back toward the main street. I leaned against the wall, watching her figure grow smaller. Luckily, there wasn’t any noticeable dirt on the wall, so my yukata wouldn’t get stained.

…Come to think of it, I was also wearing a yukata, and she hadn’t said a word about it.

“Making me compliment her without saying anything in return…”

I didn’t want a compliment, but being the only one who had to give one was annoying. I glared after her shrinking figure. Just then, I noticed her red yukata crossing paths with the shadow of someone wearing a fox mask. I quickly straightened up.

“…That was close.”

The girl in the red yukata didn’t notice the person in the fox mask as she passed by. The fox-masked person seemed momentarily caught by the sight of the red yukata but, of course, their expression was hidden behind the mask. Soon after, Ayaka—still wearing the fox mask—walked over to me and said,

“—Are you unlucky or something?”

She removed her mask, looking slightly resigned. I gave a wry smile and nodded, “Probably.” After all, I had just received some of Shinohara’s “good luck,” so I could only hope it would kick in soon.

Ayaka and I put our fox masks back on and began walking toward the inn. Through the narrow field of vision the mask allowed, I could see the flickering lantern lights in the distance.